demande de sources

salut,

Quelqu'un pourrait-il me conseiller des livres sur l'évolution politique de l'IRA de 1919 à nos jours? Ainsi que l'évolution de son organisation interne, de sa structure, etc?
Je suis conscient qu'aucun livre ne peut traiter correctement une aussi longue période donc n'hésitez pas à mettre le paquet
(En anglais et en français uniquement)
merci d'avance.

Salut,

Regarde la section "Bons Bouquins" sur le site. Samedi je te filerai des sources pour ce qui est anterieur a 1969. Pour ce qui est depuis 1969, le meilleur livre est
Ed Moloney, A Secret History of the IRA, dont une nouvelle edition vient de sortir.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0141028769/ref=nosim/newshoundA/
pour l'edition de 2007
Ensuite, la biographie de Ruairi O Bradaigh par Robert White (couvre depuis les annees 1950)
- Robert W White, Ruairi O' Bradaigh: The Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruairi-Bradaigh-Politics-Irish-Revolutionary/dp/0253347084/sr=1-1/qid=1158062494/ref=sr_1_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Excellente biographie du "dernier des republicains"
Par le meme auteur lire
Robert W White, Provisional Irish Republicans: An Oral and Interpretive History (Contributions in Political Science S.) (Hardcover), 1993
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Provisional-Irish-Republicans-Interpretive-Contributions/dp/0313285640/ref=sr_11_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8
Par un sociologue americain, une des meilleures etudes sur le sujet, mais le livre est malheureusement tres cher.
Henry Patterson, The Politics of Illusion: A political history of the IRA, 1997
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Politics-Illusion-Political-History-I-R/dp/1897959311/sr=1-7/qid=1158062756/ref=sr_1_7/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Ouvrage excellent, tres rigoureux et stimulant intellectuellement. Faligot et sa "resistance" ne tiennent pas la route face a ce livre.
- MLR Smith, Fighting for Ireland?: Military Strategy of the Irish Republican Movement (Paperback), 1995
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Ireland-Military-Strategy-Republican/dp/041516334X/sr=1-2/qid=1158062979/ref=sr_1_2/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Ouvrage tres ambitieux, tres bien documente mais assez errone dans ses conclusions, mais un must read!
- Brendan O Brien, The Long War: The IRA and Sinn Fein (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-War-IRA-Sinn-Fein/dp/0862786061/sr=1-1/qid=1158063105/ref=sr_1_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Par le Security Correspondent de RTE. A compris des choses avant les autres.
- Kevin Bean and Mark Hayes, Republican Voices, 2001
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Republican-Voices-Mark-Hayes/dp/0953401944/sr=1-1/qid=1158061963/ref=sr_1_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Serie d'interviews avec des activistes republicains prominents. Passionant, mais malheureusement le livre est dur a trouver
- Kevin Bean , The New Politics of Sinn Fein 1985-2006 (Paperback)
Irish Academic Press, 2007
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Politics-Sinn-Fein-1985-2006/dp/0716533952/sr=1-4/qid=1158061963/ref=sr_1_4/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Ce livre n;est pas encore sorti, mais j'ai lu le manuscrit. Cet ouvrage va etre le livre de reference sur la transformation politique du SF
- Gerald Murray and Jonathan Tonge, Sinn Fein and the SDLP: From Alienation to Participation (Hardcover), 2005
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinn-Fein-SDLP-Alienation-Participation/dp/1403968608/sr=1-5/qid=1158063271/ref=sr_1_5/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Tres utile etude comparative du nationalisme constitutionel et du republicanisme, du SF et du SDLP, et de comment le SF est devenu le nouveau SDLP.
- Eamon Collins, Killing Rage, 1998
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Rage-Eamon-Collins/dp/1862070474/sr=1-1/qid=1158063390/ref=sr_1_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Par un "repenti" de l'IRA qui a ete assassine un an apres avoir ecrit le livre. Ouvrage intelligent et tres vrai.
- David Beresford, Ten Men Dead: Story of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike (Paperback), 1987
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ten-Men-Dead-Hunger-Strike/dp/0586065334/sr=1-1/qid=1158063483/ref=sr_1_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8&s=books
Ouvrage classique sur les greves de la faim
- Richard O Rawe, Blanketmen: An untold story of the H-Block hunger strike (Paperback), 2005
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blanketmen-untold-H-Block-hunger-strike/dp/1904301673/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8
Tres bon livre qui remet la narration traditionelle des greves de 1981 en question.
- Fionnuala O Connor, In Search of a State: Catholics in Northern Ireland (Paperback), 1993
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-State-Catholics-Northern-Ireland/dp/0856405094/ref=sr_11_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8
Par une journaliste, etudie les attitudes contradictoires qui existent au sein de la population catholique dans le Nord. Tres perceptif.
- Frank Burton, Politics of Legitimacy: Struggles in a Belfast Community (Internat. Lib. of Soc.) (Hardcover) 1978
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Politics-Legitimacy-Struggles-Community-Internat/dp/071008966X/ref=sr_11_1/202-9320549-5295059?ie=UTF8
Par un sociologue/anthropologue anglais, la meilleure etude sur les rapports entre l'IRA et la communaute catholique. Assez theorique.

Je reviendrai sur 1919-1969 samedi

Merci pour ton temps.

Est-ce que tu as lu ces livres : "Provos, the ira, and Sinn Fein" de Peter Taylor", "Black operations: the undercover war agains the real IRA", "Dirty War"? Si oui quand penses-tu? Est-ce qu'ils valent le coup?

Est-ce que tu pourrais me faire un topo sur la situation de l'INLA, CIRA, RIRA et OIRA? On avait parlé récemment de multi-fragmentations au sein de ces organisations, à quel degré sont-elles touchées et sont elles toutes touchées?
C'est important car je compte intègrer toutes les grandes cissions au sein de l'IRA dans mon travail et expliquer leur organisation structurelle, leur stratégie et leurs orientations politiques. Etant donné l'étendue de tout ça, je vais sans doute restreindre mon travail à l'évolution de l'IRA (et de ses futures organisations dissidentes) de la période post-guerre civile et jusqu'à nos jours.

Encore merci.

J'ai une autre question : en fait, j'ai du mal à saisir l'orientation politique de la RIRA. Est-ce qu'ils sont contre le principe de la paix ou est-ce qu'ils veulent obtenir un autre accord que le Good Friday Agreement? Ou alors ils sont révolutionnaires comme la CIRA? Je ne comprends vraiment pas leur point de vue...

Rory

Le livre de MLR Smith et celui de Patterson couvrenet a partir de 1919, Smith a une optique plutot "militaire" et Patterson, politique, Patterson est extremement stimulant comme auteur -meme si neo unioniste.

Un livre un peu date qui donne une bonne histoire generale de l'IRA 1919-1997 est
J Bowyer Bell The Secret Army (3 editions: 1970, 1979 et 1997)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Army-IRA-J-Bowyer-Bell/dp/1560009012/ref=sr_1_1/026-9917788-7095621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189254851&sr=1-1
C'etait le premier livre serieux a avoir ete ecrit sur l'IRA. C'est bon sur tout ce qui est anterieur a 1969, meme si des historiens l'ont depasse depuis. Sur tout ce qui est post 1969 son livre ne comporte aucune recherche originale et est insupportablement verbeux. C'est une bonne reference pour les campagnes des annees 30, 40, et 50.

J'ai collabore a la preparation du livre de Richard English Armed Struggle.
Richard English Armed Struggle (2003)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Armed-Struggle-History-Richard-English/dp/0330493884/ref=sr_1_3/026-9917788-7095621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189255381&sr=1-3
C'est un ouvrage general sur 1919-2001 qui couvre tous les aspects du sujet, mais qui est tres inegal et ecclectique (l'editeur a force la publication deux ans avant qu'il soit termine, ca fait que le livre est baccle et insatisfaisant). Ceci dit il donne un bon apercu general.

Un autre livre un peu bizarre est
Pat Walsh, Irish Republicanism and Socialism: The Politics of the Republican Movement 1905 to 1994 (1994)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Republicanism-Socialism-Republican-Contemporary/dp/0850340713/ref=sr_1_1/026-9917788-7095621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189255779&sr=1-1
C'est tres bien documente original et tres interessant mais certaines de ses idees sont assez farfelues.

Mais voici plus de details:

1. Sur la periode 1919-1923



En 1996 a ete publie le livre de Joost Augusteijn qui constitue l’etude la plus serieuse jusque alors publiee sur l’IRA de la periode 1918-1921:

- Joost Augusteijn, From Public Defiance to Guerilla Warfare (1996)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Public-Defiance-Guerilla-Warfare-Independence/dp/0716526077/ref=sr_1_4/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152617&sr=1-4

Deux ans plus tard surgit Peter Hart, fondateur de l’interpretation dite “revisioniste” de cette periode. Tous les travaux publies depuis lors sur la periode se situent par rapport au paradigme de Hart. Son ouvrage capital est:

- Peter Hart, The IRA and its Enemies (1998)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/I-R-Its-Enemies-Community-1916-1923/dp/0198208065/ref=sr_1_1/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152785&sr=1-1

et un autre livre le completant:

- The IRA at War 1916-1923 (2003)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/I-R-War-1916-1923/dp/0199277869/ref=sr_1_1/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152868&sr=1-1

La replique la plus sophistiquee a Hart par une historienne pro Republicaine est:

- Meda Ryan, Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter (2003)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tom-Barry-IRA-Freedom-Fighter/dp/1856354806/ref=sr_1_1/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189153024&sr=1-1



2. Sur la periode 1923-1945



Deux ouvrages superbes mais malheureusement difficiles a trouver sont les livres de Uinseann Mac Eoin. Il s’agit d’interviews avec des activists de cette periode.

- Survivors (1980)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Survivors-Irelands-struggle-through-outstanding/dp/B0000EEIB7/ref=sr_1_1/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152469&sr=1-1

- The IRA in the Twilight Years 1923-1948 (1997)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/IRA-Twilight-Years-1923-1948/dp/0951117246/ref=sr_1_1/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152336&sr=1-1

Le meilleur ouvrage sur l’IRA de cette periode est celui de Brian Hanley.

- Brian Hanley, The IRA 1926-1936 (2002)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/IRA-1926-36-Brian-Hanley/dp/1851827218/ref=sr_1_3/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152143&sr=1-3

Un autre ouvrage tres detaille mais fondamentalement hostile est:

- Richard English, Radicals and the Republic: Socialist Republicanism in the Irish Free State (1994)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/IRA-1926-36-Brian-Hanley/dp/1851827218/ref=sr_1_3/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189152143&sr=1-3

Un livre intelligent mais qui a ete publie avant English et Hanley est:

- Conor Foley, Legion of the Rearguard: the IRA and the Modern Irish state (1992)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legion-Rearguard-Republicanism-Nationalism-Irish/dp/0745306861/ref=sr_1_3/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189153884&sr=1-3

Un livre absolument essentiel sur l'ideologie de l'IRA de la periode et les principes de "continuite" et "succession apostolique" est celui de Brian P Murphy
- Brian P Murphy Patrick Pearse and the Lost Republican Ideal (1991)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Patrick-Pearse-Lost-Republican-Ideal/dp/0904694038/ref=sr_1_1/026-9917788-7095621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189255091&sr=1-1
Il est excellent pour comprendre le transfert des pouvoirs de 1938. Malheureusement il est difficile a avoir.
On lira aussi avec profit son livre sur Sceilig
- The "Catholic Bulletin" and Republican Ireland with Special Reference to J.J.O'Kelly (Sceilg) (2005)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catholic-Bulletin-Republican-Reference-J-J-OKelly/dp/0850341086/ref=sr_1_5/026-9917788-7095621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189255217&sr=1-5
mais une bonne comprehension des debats sur la periode est necessaire pour vraiment en profiter.

Finalement le livre de
Ruairi O Bradaigh, Disleacht: The Story of Tom Maguire (1997)
qui est vendu via RSF est bon pour saisir une dynamique ideologique allant de 1921 a aujourd'hui.

3. Sur la periode 1945-1969.

- pour la campagne 1956-1962 Bowyer Bell cite plus haut reste bon, il est a lire en parallele avec la biographie de ruairi O Bradaigh par Robert White qui traite aussi de la periode.

sur l'IRA dans les annees 60, il existe un bon livre:
- Sean Swan, Official Irish Republicanism 1962-1972 (2007)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-Irish-Republicanism-1962-1972/dp/1430307986/ref=sr_1_2/202-8835353-8380621?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189154044&sr=1-2

IL traite aussi de l'IRA Officielle jusque en 1972.

"Est-ce que tu as lu ces livres : "Provos, the ira, and Sinn Fein" de Peter Taylor", "Black operations: the undercover war agains the real IRA", "Dirty War"? Si oui quand penses-tu? Est-ce qu'ils valent le coup?"

- Le bouquin de Taylor est plus interessant qu'il en a l'air. Il y a des parties qui valent le coup, mais d'autres qui sont assez creuses. Ca fait qu'il est assez inegal. Ce n'est pas un livre essentiel, mais il vaut le coup d'oeil. Il a ete depasse depuis par Moloney et White.
- Pour ce qui est de Black OPerations, tu peux oublier. Jette un coup d'oeil sur la recension que j'en avais fait quand il est sorti:
http://www.phoblacht.net/lorrealreview.html
- Martin Dillon et ses livres comme The Dirty War (1990) ont ete totalement discredites. Il s'est fait virer de la BBC par ce qu'il s'est avere qu'il avait entierement fabrique/invente des interviews. Personne -historiens etc- ne prend ses livres au serieux ou ne s'y refere. Ce sont des livres dans le style "true crime", au meme niveau que des biographies de psychopathes, journalisme de tabloide etc

Pour le reste de tes questions, je te repondrai la semaine prochaine. Pourrais-tu expliquer exactement la nature de ton travail/projet?

Note que:

Pour ce qui est de l'INLA, le seul livre qui existe est:

- Jack Holland and Henry McDonald, Deadly Divisions (1994 et 1996)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/INLA-Deadly-Divisions-Jack-Holland/dp/189814205X

- Pour ce qui est de l' OIRA il y a un long article redige a la fin des annees 1980 en Anglais que je peux t'envoyer par email.

Mais voici un truc redige recemment qui te donne une idee -(c'est en Anglais mais merci de le laisser ici et pas dans section In Englihs du forum)

After a three-year investigation involving officials from the CIA, FBI, Pentagon and state department, the US government is seeking the extradition of Sean Garland, the 71-year-old president of the Workers Party of Ireland and alleged chief of staff of the Official IRA, on counterfeiting charges.

The US government alleges that since the 1990s Garland and other members of the Official IRA have “engaged in buying, transporting and either passing as genuine or reselling large quantities of high-quality counterfeit $100 notes”, known as ‘superdollars’. The justice department claims that the superdollars were “manufactured in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea under the auspices of the government and transported worldwide by North Korean individuals acting as ostensible government officials”. It will be the first time the US has officially charged North Korea with an illegal activity in court.

Garland denies the charges. However, the allegations will not surprise anybody familiar with the history of the Workers Party and its armed wing, whose existence is publicly denied


The Workers Party of Ireland traces its origins to the Official IRA/Official Sinn Féin, from which Provisional IRA/Provisional Sinn Féin had split in 1969, following the Officials’ decision to recognise Leinster House, Stormont and Westminster. Despite its ‘socialist’ rhetoric, the organisation was essentially reformist. While a war of national liberation was developing, the organisation was still pursuing a civil rights agenda. In September 1971 the Officials declared that “the foremost issue for people in the north is not the national question, but a democratic question of peace, justice and security” (United Irishman September 1971). As late as July 1972, their paper, the United Irishman, was still claiming that “the main issue at the moment in the north is still, as it has been for the last few years, the civil rights issue” (United Irishman July 1972).

The civil rights agenda went hand in hand with the objective of reforming - not destroying - Stormont. So, when the Provisional IRA brought down Stormont in March 1972, the Officials saw this as a step backwards rather than an advance (see ‘Direct rule is not a victory’ United Irishman April 1972). Civil rights and the reform of Stormont were supposed to be issues around which workers could unite.

For the Officials, the unity of catholic and protestant workers in the north was paramount - they argued that there could only be Irish unification after workers in the North unite. The Official IRA had to reluctantly get involved in military operations under the pressure of the nationalist working class. While the Provisionals were on a full offensive, the Officials were stating that they were only involved in “defence and retaliation” (Repsol In the 70s the IRA speaks Dublin 1972, pp24-26). However, as this would alienate the protestants and therefore divide the working class as well as alienate some of the electorate in the south, the army council declared a cessation in May 1972. Those who pursued the armed struggle were denounced by the Officials as “fascists” and “sectarians”. The Officials were out of step with the struggle of the people, so they were quickly marginalised.

After the more militant elements of the Officials left to form the Irish Republican Socialist Party in 1974, the political policy and strategy of the party was adopted at the 1976 ard fheis (conference) as “Peace, work and class politics”. According to party president Tomas MacGiolla, “the most progressive and revolutionary demand at this time is peace … All the progressive forces in the country demand peace, all the fascist and sectarian bigots are opposed to it” (Repsol The struggle for democracy, peace and freedom Dublin 1975, p6). From this flowed a virulent denunciation of “terrorism”. The Officials rejected “terror and violence as means to achieve state power” (Irish Times April 13 1979). The movement also opposed the H-Block protests and the campaign for political status for prisoners of war, arguing that “such killers are not entitled to any special POW status when captured” (editorial United Irishman December 1978).

The Officials demanded a bill of rights for Northern Ireland and the establishment by Westminster of “democratic rights, just laws, civilianised police and impartial judiciary” (ibid p8). They supported the return of Stormont, albeit with a bill of rights, on the basis that it was the most democratic form of government for Northern Ireland. (see, for example, Workers Party Republican Clubs The case for democratic devolved government in Northern Ireland).

The Officials also recognised the legitimacy of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (see Des O Hagan, ‘Northern Ireland: prospects for political progress’ Workers Life April 1981). By the 1980s, the party was defending strip-searches and the supergrass system. Parallel to this, in early 1974, Eoghan Harris, the dominant ideologue in the party (a kind of Irish Martin Jacques), delivered a paper entitled From civil rights to class politics. This argued that civil rights had been achieved in the north and that the priority should now be to unite workers on economic issues.

This economist turn was reinforced in 1977, when the party adopted a policy document entitled The Irish industrial revolution. Written by Eoghan Harris and Eamon Smullen, the document blamed Ireland’s problems not on imperialism, but on its “lazy and greedy” native bourgeoisie (Repsol The Irish industrial revolution Dublin 1977, pp7-9). Imperialism is a progressive and modernising force, and consequently the party became a fervent advocate of foreign multinationals. As to the crisis in the north, it was “distracting working class attention from the class struggle to a mythical national question” (ibid pp148-149).

Such positions put the Officials not just in the camp of reformism, but right on the other side of the barricade. These ideological changes were also reflected organisationally. From 1976, the Official IRA ceased to issue public statements, was no longer mentioned in party publications, the party hinting that it had withered away. The same year, the youth movement of the Official IRA was disbanded and replaced by the Irish Democratic Youth Movement.

In 1977, the party renamed itself Sinn Féin, the Workers Party (SFWP), and in 1982 changed this simply to the Workers Party (in 1980, the organisation’s newspaper, the United Irishman, had been replaced by Workers Life). This reflected the fact that by then it had abandoned any pretence of republicanism and was orientated towards Eurocommunism (see, for example, editorial Workers Life March 1982).

As Vincent Browne pointed out, all this represented nothing short of a “political lobotomy”: “From being a republican, anti-partitionist organisation, the party is now virtually unionist … From a position of being the foremost opponent of EEC membership … the party is now in favour of membership. Having opposed foreign industrialisation, the Workers Party is now the foremost advocate of foreign investment. Ten years ago the party was advocating trade union militancy, including the rejection of national wage agreements; now the party is a deeply conservative influence within the trade union movement and in favour of national wage agreement. From being open advocates of violence for both national and social objectives in 1972, the party is now rhetorically the shrillest opponent of violence in the country” (V Browne ‘The secret world of SFWP’, part 2, Magill 1982, pp4-19).

The Workers Party’s promotion of state intervention and public sector workers’ interests won it significant support in the trade unions and brought the party some sizeable electoral successes in the south. In 1982, it had three TDs (Irish MPs) elected. In 1987, this rose to four (with 3.8% of the total vote); and in 1989 to seven (4.3%), as well as one MEP (7% in the EU elections) and the post of lord mayor of Dublin. In the north, however, support for the party was marginal. It fell from a high of six council seats in the May 1977 local elections and 14,277 votes (2.6%) to one seat and 1.6% of the vote in 1985, to no seats and 0.1% of the vote a few years later.

The party’s reliance on the trade union bureaucracy meant that it was willing to accept anti-working class budgets. As the 1980s progressed, the Workers Party embraced the ‘New Times’ agenda and shifted more and more towards rightwing social democracy. (see, for example, Proinsias De Rossa, ‘Challenging sacred cows’ Making Sense April 1989). This was accentuated by the crisis of actually existing socialism. By the end of the 1980s, Eoghan Harris was arguing that “socialism is dead, the Workers Party should bury it and nail its colours to the mast of social-democracy” (E Harris, ‘The necessity of social democracy’ Making Sense March-April 1990). This was to lead to a serious split in the party, but what formally brought it about was the ‘revelation’ that the Official IRA was still in existence and was involved in criminal activity.

The Official IRA’s purpose was illegal fundraising, keeping in order the movement’s drinking clubs, maintaining discipline through intimidation, beatings and shootings, self-defence and occasionally murder of opponents. The group is very well armed, with AK47s and Magnum 357 pistols. They received at least two containers of weapons from eastern Europe during the 1980s. According to a former member of its army council, the Official IRA collected £2 million through robberies between 1972 and 1982 (V Browne ‘The secret world of SFWP’, part 1, Magill 1982, pp6-16). Throughout the 1980s and 90s, alleged Official IRA activity was sporadically reported in the news (for example, the BBC Spotlight programme, ‘Sticking to their guns’, June 1991).

Allegations of counterfeiting are not new. In 1983, the Irish police launched an investigation into the alleged forgery of $5 notes at the Workers Party’s publishing company, Repsol (of which Sean Garland is manager). The main suspect, Brian Lynch, subsequently fled to East Germany. Anthony McDonagh (allegedly the Belfast commander of the Officials) and Billie Holden were convicted of robbing the Larne-Cairnryan ferry in 1986. Terence McGeown received a four year sentence in 1992 for admitting handling stolen drink on behalf of the Official IRA. The Workers Party stridently denied all this, and publicly denied having any prisoners.

The Workers Party/Official IRA also had a number of secret branches and committees whose task was to infiltrate the media (they were very successful in their infiltration of the Irish state broadcasting company, RTE, and controlled influential programmes such as Today Tonight, while the industrial relations correspondent of the Irish Times was a Workers Party plant) and the trade union movement. More generally, a bureaucratic culture of secrecy and conspiracy prevailed within the movement.

In 1992, six out of seven Workers Party TDs, as well as its MEP, left to form New Agenda, which became Democratic Left on March 28 (see Proinsias De Rossa, ‘The case for a new departure Making Sense March-April 1992). In January 1999, Democratic Left finally merged with the Irish Labour Party. The old Official guard remained within the Workers Party and denounced the social democratic “liquidators” (Sean Garland, ‘Beware of hidden agendas’ Making Sense March-April 1992).

The November 1992 elections saw four TDs returned for the Democratic Left, and none for the Workers Party, which got 0.7% of vote, against 4.3% in 1989. The Workers Party has not been able to make a significant electoral impact since (it has only two local councillors).

WP suffered another two splits in the 1990s. The first one was political, when a number of members left to form the independent Irish Socialist Network. The second one was military, when a significant portion of Official IRA members in Belfast and Newry left to form the Official Republican Movement (ORM - colloquially known as the ‘supersticks’) in 1998. They were not happy about how they were being treated by the rest of the organisation. They took with them most of the Official IRA’s weaponry and tried to take over the drinking clubs (in Belfast today the Officials control four drinking clubs; the Supersticks at least one). This led to a number of violent clashes between the two groups. The public face of the ORM is An Eochair, an Official IRA ex-prisoners support group, funded by peace money. The ORM holds its own Easter commemoration event and releases occasional statements.

Over two decades after its public break with ‘paramilitarism’ and its adoption of Eurocommunism and social democracy, the Workers Party is still facing accusations of being engaged in criminal activity. One can only wonder if the same scenario will one day also apply to the Provisionals.

L'Universite de Indiana (dont Robert White est le doyen de la faculte de sociologie) a digitalise l'ensemble des archives de RSF depuis 1986.

http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/irishnews/

te donnera acces a l'ensemble de leurs publications on line

Il sont egalement en train de faire la meme chose pour le 32csm

http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/SNation/

Je repondrai au plus tard samedi prochain, mais pour resumer pour ceux qui sont presses, les livres essentiels sont
- Moloney
- Patterson
- MRL Smith
- Robert White